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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28436841">For Now and Always</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/merpancake/pseuds/merpancake'>merpancake</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Merlin (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Boys In Love, Fluff, Gwaine deserves to be happy, Handfasting, Lancelot (Merlin) Lives, Leon is a softy, M/M, Marriage Proposal, You heard it here first, merlin deserves to be happy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-20 22:47:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>996</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28436841</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/merpancake/pseuds/merpancake</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It was a joke, surely just meant to be a joke, but- suddenly Gwaine could see a future unrolling in front of him like a tapestry.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Gwaine/Merlin (Merlin)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>199</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>For Now and Always</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Stupid. <em>Stupid!</em></p>
<p>Gwaine kicked at the body of the bandit he'd just killed, scanning the trees that bordered the clearing where they had been ambushed- they being a king, a handful of knights, and a manservant.</p>
<p>A <em>missing</em> manservant.</p>
<p>And Gwaine knew that Merlin, bless his stupid heart, wouldn't just hide in safety. No, he'd skulk around the edge of the fight, waiting for the right moment to use his, er….. <em>special</em> skills undetected. The problem was less that Merlin helped give the knights an edge over enemies, and more that he tended to focus only on them, and not himself, or his surroundings. Like, say, if a bandit or assassin felt that one man alone would be an easy target to sneak up behind. If that exact scenario hadn't already happened twice this month alone, with Gwaine and Lancelot both stepping in at the last moment, they would be down one incompetent (courageous, beautiful) servant.</p>
<p>"Merlin!"</p>
<p>The others were noticing their missing member as well. Leon was already moving to where they'd last seen Merlin.</p>
<p>"Merlin!"</p>
<p>Gwaine's heart was in his throat, and the longer they went without an answer the tighter it got. Finally, from the opposite side of the eating, was a faint, <em>"here!" </em></p>
<p>Gwaine shoved past the others. He had to push through a cluster of brambles before he found Merlin- and nearly went right into the little ravine along with him. Merlin was at the bottom of the narrow chink in the earth, muddy but otherwise unharmed, the edge just past his reach and too smooth to climb. There was a bandit body down there with him, clearly dead, though it lacked any sort of mark of injury. Gwaine hoped it was a broken neck that did the bandit in. He knew Merlin hated to use his magic to kill. He laid down on the ground, holding his arm out for Merlin to grasp.</p>
<p>"You really need to stop doing this," he said, drawing his man up the side. His arm was steady as stone.</p>
<p>"What, killing bandits?" Merlin asked, standing to brush off the dirt. He had a smile on his face, but Gwaine wasn't laughing. He was supposed to keep an eye on Merlin, to watch where he hid and provide cover. Not get distracted and lose track of the only person he loved anymore, like some kind of- of <em>failure</em>. What kind of knight couldn't manage a single person to guard? And- now Merlin was frowning at him.</p>
<p>"Gwaine?"</p>
<p>Gwaine brushed the dirt off his own hands. "Nothing, Merls, just- lost you for a minute. So, you know," he tried on a smile, "maybe don't do that again yeah? You're meant to stay by me." <em>Stay by me forever</em>, he thought. He normally wasn't so maudlin, he'd leave that to Leon and his secret stash of romance epics, but it had been a long day. Gwaine had never stuck around like this for a person- he'd never wanted to before Merlin, who embraced him and kissed him and laughed with him. Who could sprout butterflies from his hands and make light dance even as he brought down Arthur's enemies. It just felt a little too close, again, to have Merlin just out of Gwaine's reach, and out of safety.</p>
<p>Great, now Merlin was looking at him with those big soft eyes. He always could see right through him.</p>
<p>"Maybe next time, I'll just tie you to me, so you can't wander off," Gwaine joked.</p>
<p>Merlin grinned and took Gwaine's hand, lacing their fingers together. "You know Gwaine, if you want to be handfasted that badly, all you have to do is ask."</p>
<p>It was a joke, surely just meant to be a joke, but- suddenly Gwaine could see a future unrolling in front of him like a tapestry, with Merlin at his side in truth, vows made and cherished, late nights under the stars and by the campfires, or warm in their bed, surrounded by the clutter of a shared life. His throat was tight again, his heart pounding. He couldn't shake it, that possibility, that glimpse of a future staying in one place, with one person. It must have shown on his face because Merlin was wide eyed in front of him.</p>
<p>"Gwaine?" he whispered. Gwaine swallowed hard, commanded his knees to not shake, and knelt down in the leaves and dirt, his hand still clutched in Merlin's.</p>
<p>"Well," he said, "this is me, asking."</p><hr/>
<p>At the ceremony, Arthur went through two handkerchiefs, not for himself but for Leon, who blubbered through the vows and ribbon tying, and barely dragged his dignity back enough to embrace Merlin and Gwaine.</p>
<p>"Oh, Leon," Merlin teased, a little teary himself, "I didn't know you were so soft!"</p>
<p>"I did," Gwaine said, and leaned in close to Leon's ear. "Your secret epics are not very secret, my friend."</p>
<p>Leon stiffened and pulled back to stare at Gwaine, aghast. "You!" He exclaimed. "You found my- you drew dirty pictures on all the covers!"</p>
<p>Merlin burst out laughing. Gwaine grinned, and backed away, drawing Merlin alongside him where their hands were still joined.</p>
<p>"Look, mate, you're practically begging for someone to find them- a hidey hole under the bed, really? That's the first place anyone would look!"</p>
<p>
  <em>"Gwaine!" </em>
</p>
<p>Oops. Now Leon was coming after them. Good thing there were no weapons allowed at handfastings.</p>
<p>He turned and ran, Merlin stumbling along after him, still laughing. "You are a menace!" Merlin said, beaming. His eyes were shining, the crown of spring flowers and ferns bright in his hair. Gwaine had a matching one- he'd press them, later, to save through all the years coming. They had years coming, now.</p>
<p>"Well, yes, too bad for you." Gwaine's heart wasn't in his throat, but his whole body, alive with it. "You're stuck with me forever now."</p>
<p>Merlin stopped them, drew Gwaine in close, and pressed their foreheads together. "Forever, huh? I like the sound of that."</p>
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